CNN
—
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi After leading House Democrats for two decades and building a legacy as one of the most powerful and polarizing figures in American politics, he announced Thursday that he is stepping down as leader.
Pelosi, the first and only woman to serve as speaker, said she would continue to serve in the House and give the next generation the chance to lead House Democrats. Be in the minority next year One though Mid-term elections are better than expected.
“I will not be re-elected to lead the Democratic Party in the next Congress,” Pelosi said in the House chamber. “For me, the time has come for a new generation of Democrats to lead a party that I deeply respect and am grateful that so many are willing to take on this amazing responsibility.”
Pelosi, 82, rose to the top of the House Democratic caucus in 2002 after leading many in her party against a resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq. He guided Democrats as they rode the wave of popular opinion, seeing them grow to a 257-seat majority after the 2008 election, eventually fall to a 188-seat minority, and then rebound.
His political career was marked by an extraordinary ability to understand and deal with those political changes, uniting conflicting factions of his party in the passage of important legislation. He won the post of Speaker twice after the 2006 and 2018 elections and lost it after the 2010 elections.
Of late, he has made strides across one of the slimmest party lines in history, passing a $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package last year and a $750 billion health care, energy and climate bill in August.
His legislative victories during the Biden era cemented his reputation as one of the most successful party leaders in Congress. During the Obama administration, Pelosi was instrumental in passing a massive economic stimulus bill and the Affordable Care Act of 2010, which provided health care to more than 35 million Americans.
The longtime Democratic leader told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday’s “State of the Union.” He had asked her to consider running In party leadership elections at the end of the month, “But, again, let’s get through the election.”
Any decision to run again, Pelosi said, “is about the family, and what my colleagues and I want to do is move forward in a very unified way that we’re ready for Congress.”
“However, as we will be in a presidential election, there is great risk. So my decision is again rooted in the will of my family and the will of my caucus,” he continued. “But none of it will be taken seriously until we see what the effect of all of this is. And there are all kinds of ways to influence.
Pelosi said in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper earlier this month Violent attack On her husband at the end of October Influence her decision making For his political future.
Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer by a male assailant at the couple’s home in San Francisco, authorities said. According to court documents, the assailant was looking for the speaker.
Pelosi is a towering figure in American politics, with a legacy of breaking glass ceilings and making history. First and so far only female To be the Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
She is a He was elected Speaker for the first time in 2007 He served in that role until 2011, when Democrats lost control of the House. In 2019, she is He was re-elected as Speaker After the Democrats won back the House from the Republicans.
A small but vocal faction of Democrats initially worked to derail Pelosi’s bid to become the next speaker following the 2018 midterm elections, but she eventually won the votes she needed to regain the title. Ahead of the final vote, Pelosi used her deal-making skills He negotiated the agreement With some Democrats trying to block him from the Speakership. As part of the deal, Pelosi supported a plan to enact term limits for the party’s top three leaders. The 2018 agreement However, an informal agreement, and the caucus rules were never changed to impose any time limits on his tenure.
Pelosi was first elected to the House in 1987, winning a special election to fill a seat representing California’s 5th congressional district. Over the years, he has earned a reputation as a powerful and forceful leader of House Democrats, wielding significant influence and a tight grip on members of his caucus.
He has been a fierce opponent of Republicans in Congress and the White House, and Republicans have made him a high target of criticism from their own party.
When she was first elected speaker, Pelosi reflected on the significance of the event and what it meant to women in America.
“This is a historic moment,” she said said in a speech After accepting the Speaker’s sling. It is a historic moment for Congress. This is a historic moment for American women.
This story was updated Thursday with additional updates.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Devoted analyst. Total alcohol scholar. Infuriatingly humble food trailblazer.”